Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing - Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen Cookies

Shades of purple and white were used for these Sweet Sixteen cookies.

Candles, balloons, cupcakes, mini daisies, monograms, and "16"s.  The cute little pugs on sticks are Flour Box Bakery's design. 

Cookies are available for order through my website.

Kentucky Derby Bridal Shower Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I had sooooo much fun decorating these! I've never decorated horse cookies or pretty hats. Loved doing them!!

Beautiful ladies' hats.  (They could be Easter bonnets too!)  I made tiny little daisy royal icing transfers a la  Julia Usher.  I really thought these would break when releasing them from the paper or placing them on the cookies.  Not one broke!

Perhaps you can see their 3-D-ness better in this photo.  Each hat is two cookies stacked.

And a few race horses.  Bake at 350 inspired these, though I changed them up a bit.  For some reason, the tails and manes make me happy.

Here they are together, along with a message cookie.  I talked about how I did the message using my Kopykake projector here.

Fun, fun set!

Tutorial - How to use Kopykake Projector to Decorate Cookies

I'm often asked about my KK - Kopykake projector.  I love my KK.  Mostly I just use it for message cookies, but it's invaluable to me!  Marian asked if I would show how I use my KK for piping messages. So here you go!

First, type out and print the text.  Print it approximately the size it will be on the cookies.  The KK can enlarge and reduce your image slightly.

I like to print a box around the text.  Those lines help me to make sure the words are straight on the cookie.

Cut them out.

I've seen that people situate their KK in different positions.  I set mine up so that the pole is on my left.  That means that I place the text inside the box, right side-up.

I like to slant it slightly.  Then my cookie is at a slant while I'm piping.  That feels more natural and makes it easier to write.

Turn that baby on.  Focus.  Reduce or enlarge.  Line it up straight.

Time to pipe.  Using the KK takes a little getting used to.  The shadow from your hand can get in the way, blocking the image being projected.  Practice helps!

Add a border and whatever else you'd like, after you're finished with the message.

So there are the basics.  There are many fabulous tutorials out there showing how to use a Kopykake and which one to buy.

Great intro to the KK by Sweetopia here.

Here are two great videos by Sweetopia showing Princess Jasmine and Daisies.

Sugarbelle recently wrote up a post here. She has a great intro to the KK.  Her thoughts on the KK and alternatives here.  How to find great fonts for using the KK.

And because you just can't watch enough videos showing how to use the KK, here's one from Cristin's Cookies.

There you have it!

First Communion Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

In celebration of a little boy's First Communion.

His grandmother made a tie for him to wear on his special day.  I simplified the pattern on the fabric she used.

Crosses, daisies, ties, and a big ol' message.

I love blue and orange together!

Thank You Cookies

These cookies were to go in some "Thank You" gift baskets.

I love to insert minis into a message cookie.  Kinda brings it all together.

I'm so excited for spring and spring cookies!  I think that flower cookies are one of my favorites.  I love the designs and colors.  They're cheery!

Of course I used my KopyKake for the writing.  What a lifesaver.

The cookies were put into treat bags.  A stick is going to be taped to the back and then they'll be inserted into the baskets.

I wonder what else is going into those baskets.

Plaque Message Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Up until now, I've mostly used a crinkle oval cutter for my message cookies.

Not anymore!  I bought four different plaque cutters at Plastics in Print.  Aren't they fabulous!?

Here's the link to PIP, but they're closed for now.  That link won't actually work until they re-open.  When they do, they're going to have lots of new cutters.  Can't wait!

I printed out my messages on a word document then used my KopyKake projector.  I was really pleased with the piping.  This time, my icing consistency was just perfect.  Piping is soooooo much easier and neater when the icing isn't too thick or too thin.  I really have to make sure in the future that I get that piping icing right!  It makes a world of difference.